scathing
by kid adult
Summary: A year in review, backwards.


A/N: Written for day two of Tomadashi week.

* * *

"You know, I've never seen you cry before."

"No one has," GoGo retorts. Hiro sways back and forth on the wooden frame of the bridge, overlooking the lake that he and Tadashi had once reflected on. Once. How strange it was, knowing that had only been a few months ago. A sigh escapes his lips as he jumps off the bottom ledge, shifting his back to rest on the arch. "Right, like you've ever gotten away with hiding your tears from anyone."

"Actually I have, and you're not going to break that streak."

"Well something must've been enough for you to shed at _least_ one tear in any given moment. You've never cried in front of Honey? Wasabi? Fred?"

"No, I'd have to die first before any of you could see me cry. Now drop it."

"Come on, GoGo, that's impossible! I don't see how you've never cried in front of anyone before."

"Are you always this annoying?" she snaps.

GoGo rubs her leather glove with her left thumb, blows a bubble nonchalantly as to dodge the teen's further, incessant questioning. Hiro eventually finds the silence unsettling, hopping up and exiting towards the nearest end of the bridge. As his hands find their way in his pockets, he looks at GoGo with weary eyes. "Let's go back to the cafe now. Fred's probably done with his 'stupid underwear story'. Which frankly, I believed would've been an interesting story to have heard myself if only _someone_ didn't drag me along to avoid it instead…"

"You're talking awfully articulate for a snarky fourteen-year-old," she remarks as she follows the kid, defeated by the idea of not further arguing against Hiro's wishes. Inevitably she resigns, obviously having seen his eyes flicker in hopes of agreeing to finally go home. Such depth they had, always, with flecks of gold and dark brown even in the nighttime. It was ridiculous how beautiful they were, much like Tadashi's -

Tadashi…

/

They ride together in silence, Hiro clutching cautiously onto GoGo's shoulders as she speeds through bright red lights. An unnecessary, daunting task it was, he thought. Not that he was complaining or anything. The wind crashing against them felt refreshing. Winter had never felt so cold, so worthy of embracing rather than running away from -

She slows down when she acknowledges her tears trickling down her face, wind directing them towards Hiro. How embarrassing it would feel to be caught crying after haughtily stating that she never had been. Because then he'd win, and GoGo wouldn't dare swallow her pride to admit defeat towards a fourteen-year-old who had only had the simple curiosity of whether she had cried or not in front of someone.

He feels it anyway, clutches her shoulders tighter than before. "It's okay. Guess I did break the streak after all."

* * *

**January**

_I called him our best friend once. While he hadn't acknowledged this in his lifetime, there wasn't a time where I felt that being his friend or spending time with him had been a mistake._

_Ironically I had bumped into him on accident… well technically my wheels had met him before I did. Then I looked up. Left apologetically, didn't talk to him until winter at this time -_

_This was a year ago._

_He was my favorite mistake. As disgustingly sentimental as that sounds._

**December**

"It's one thing to put yourself before others in times of peril and need.

But God, at what cost?"

**December**

"Merry Christmas, Tadashi. How does it feel to fall asleep on the clouds instead of your worktable?"

**November**

"So today's Thanksgiving. And we're all thankful for you. San Fransokyo in its entirety, believe it or not. Since you've built that huggable medical robot and all.

Congrats on the new building, by the way. You deserved it."

_And so much more._

**November**

"Hey, dumbass. I hope you like flowers.

Pretty sure you would've liked Korean barbeque, too."

**October**

"Happy birthday. Aunt Cass wanted me to give you this donut, Hiro still thinks you're a knucklehead,

and I agree."

**September**

"So much for trying to save Callaghan, huh? That bastard better have at least tried to save you and seclude you with him in the microbots he stole -

But I guess it doesn't matter now. You're still gone."

**August**

"Why is your name Leiko? Aren't you Korean?"

"You know, for a pretty (and) smart guy, that's a really dumb thing to say."

"Well, I do have a point."

"You're biracial. Your parents could've taken a different route and named you something like Daniel, Mark, Ethel even."

"Ethel? That's a girl's name."

"It's also my middle name. Anyways, you might wanna check on Hiro. Not sure what he's staring at, but he doesn't look too well.

Tell him to woman up while you're at it."

**August**

_I like you, too. I guess._

**July**

"Hey. How are your wheels?"

"Still not fast enough. How's… Baymax?"

"Finished him earlier today, actually. I'm psyched to show you and the gang, Hiro and Aunt Cass. You're gonna _love_ him. Huggable design and all."

"Maybe. Have you tried Korean barbeque before?"

"No, but it sounds fantastic. I haven't eaten out for weeks now."

"I'll treat you sometime."

**July**

When he's asleep, GoGo extends her hand out to his face, far enough to barely brush his cheek. _His skin must've skipped out on the whole zit trouble when he was younger, _she thinks as she notices no visible marks or blotches.

"I wash my face every day, if anything," Tadashi mumbles as he lifts himself up from his work space. "Also, genetics." He looks back at her for a while, says something along the lines of her "not being so bad herself".

GoGo's not sure what to do when he inches closer, breath tickling her abashed face. Her heart feels as if it's racing at a faster speed than she's ever experienced while riding her bike on late nights like this, and for once, she feels maybe she doesn't like speed as much after all. Because it's all twists and turns in a situation like this, and she's not sure why things are happening the way they are right now. Never had she even experienced the phenomenon of "butterflies in your stomach" (the first time had only ever been infatuation) -

"May I?"

He cups her face before she can say anything, awestruck of the same feeling she had probably felt while touching his. "Like a peach," he laughs idiotically.

Tadashi kisses her then and there. GoGo doesn't argue.

**June**

"Leiko?"

"Hm?"

"I like you."

"Hm."

**May**

They ride around on her bike on the eve before Hiro's birthday, neither of them aware of how late it really is to be anywhere in the city. Some lights remain illuminated, giving off a faint glow in all sorts of colors and directions. Though it doesn't surprise both of them, the array of various hues and shades and lights and designs that they've individually seen on different accounts still feels new.

"What's he like?" she asks, bubble almost popping onto her face as she picks up the speed.

"Stubborn. Pretty innovative when he feels like it. Sometimes not for the right reasons."

"Oh?"

"He likes botfighting."

"Huh. Cool kid."

"A dumbass of a genius, really. Speak of the devil..." Tadashi says as he switches his attention momentarily to check his flashing tracker, only to discover the foreign location of his brother's designated botfight competition. "That bonehead better hope he gets a birthday tomorrow."

"He reminds me of myself."

"How so?"

"You know, always running away to do something else. To get a thrill out of something you love doing without anyone getting in the way… well temporarily in Hiro's case, anyway."

"Turn left."

**May**

Being with Tadashi is almost as cool as speed.

Almost.

**April**

"My real name's Leiko."

"Yeah, Fred told me."

"April Fools," she scowls.

"No, no, no, Fred said 'GoGo' was only a nickname -"

"The fact that you believe Fred at all about anything is a joke within itself."

"Hey, give the guy some credit. Though, I will admit, the 'Tomago' part is laughable."

"_Leiko_. Also, we should just name you Tadashit. So that everyone has a nickname."

**April**

"It's a pretty name, you know."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Too bad it means 'arrogant'. Huh. Guess it still fits you after all."

/

"Aunt Cass, do you have an ice pack?"

"Hey! You're back from school… Why is your nose bleeding?"

**March**

"Honey's asking if you like flowers."

"She knows already. Why do you ask?"

"I - uh, it's for science…?"

"I like cherry blossoms. Speaking of which, there's a festival coming up soon."

"Yeah, well…"

"I'm down."

**March**

_At what stage would we have been at by now if we had talked sooner?_ Tadashi thinks.

He can only hope she'll cooperate with the whole concept of "going slow". But even then, he knows he can't.

**February**

"There's Wasabi. If you touch his stuff, don't try fixing it. Anddd, Honey's probably out there combining chemicals that shouldn't even be near each other… Don't touch her stuff either."

"What's up with the names?"

"Fred. I wouldn't question it if I were you."

**February**

"Uh, happy Valentine's Day."

"Where's your girlfriend?"

"I… don't have one."

"Surprising. But at the same time, not really… considering you're here almost all the time."

"Kinda have to be. It's class. Besides, you're here just as often as I am."

"... Touché."

"Except it's not a surprise that you don't have a boyfriend."

"Can it."

**January**

"Incoming!"

**January**

"Damn it, not fast enough… Are you okay?"

"Might wanna watch it there, short stuff."

"Guess I'll just take that back -"

"I'm kidding… Electromagnetic suspension, huh?"

"Well, can't really joke about the truth. Anyways, it's a sick excuse of success. These wheels aren't fast enough. Yet."

"Still, pretty impressive."

"Hm."

**January**

"Why speed? Out of all things, I mean."

"Why medical robotics?"

"I like helping people."

"And I like being fast."

"I'm Tadashi."

"... GoGo."


End file.
